


Stuck in my Imagination

by midnightsurge



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Finn works at the library, M/M, Office Sex, Poe is too damn hot for his own good, Poe teaches Military History, Riots Protests and Resistance: a History of Revolutions, Semi-Public Sex, TA Finn, Teacher Poe, Teacher-Student Relationship, brief appearance by puppy!bb-8, i would take that class, sort of, then again so is Finn, university!au, why did i do this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 17:09:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5936320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightsurge/pseuds/midnightsurge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe hadn't quite expected his new teaching job to come with so many... distractions. Or really, one distraction in particular. Finn. Finn was that distraction. </p><p>Or</p><p>Poe is a new professor. Finn is his TA.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stuck in my Imagination

**Author's Note:**

> I wholeheartedly blame my friend for this. If you guys have any complaints, I will gladly direct them towards her.

            It was the middle of the summer and Poe’s phone was ringing in the living room, the high-pitched sound sending BB-8 into a frenzy as she ran past the front door and into the house, yapping excitedly.

            “Alright, alright! Easy there, girl,” Poe laughed at her and grabbed the phone, answering “Hello?” distractedly as he looked around for his keys.

            “Hello, is this Professor Poe Dameron?” the voice across the line spoke pleasantly.

            He could’ve sworn he’d placed them right on the coffee table earlier that day… “Yes, this is he.”

            “Yes, I’m calling from Dean Organa’s office. She was wondering if it would be possible to have you pass by the office sometime today or tomorrow?”

            Poe paused as he absorbed the words, a frown appearing between his brows. He’d just seen Leia last week and everything had been fine then. Had something happened? She would normally call him herself; it was odd that she was now using the secretary to do so. “Of course, is everything alright?”

            “Certainly, Professor, everything is fine. She would, however, like to make you aware the reason for the appointment is that she would like to formally interview you for a newly available position at the University. As such, she would like to remind you, professional attire is required and that your,” a pause, “‘godforsaken leather jacket’, as she puts it, does not count.”

            And that was how Poe found himself in an opulent office filled to the brim with books and certificates, bemusedly sitting across the desk from one Dean Leia Organa.

            “What’s all this about, General?” he laughed as he took a seat, the nickname slipping out of him without effort. The affectionate nickname had been bestowed on her when she’d been teaching some of the best history classes the university had ever seen, most students jokingly pledging that they would have fought any historical war under her command should she have ever needed it.

            “A job interview, of course,” Leia smiled at him, her hands folded in front of her on her desk.

            Poe smiled at her quizzically, tilting his head slightly. “You already know I have a job.” Poe had kept in touch with her even after graduation and more so once he became a professor himself, constantly seeking her leadership and advice. It wasn’t like she didn’t already know that he was working at a less prestigious but still renown university on the other side of the city.

            “Yes,” she nodded patiently, a grin threatening to spread over his lips, “but I want to offer you an ever better job. Here, in my school.”

            Poe froze. That was… He hadn’t expected that.

            “Professor Hux has recently been… let go, to put it delicately.” They shared a knowing look. Nothing else needed to be said about the matter for Poe to more or less get an idea of what had happened. “His position is now available and I thought, who better to take his place than one of the brightest students I’ve ever had?”

            Poe looked down bashfully, excitement pounding through his veins. This was a dream job, everyone had to be fighting for it already. “There must be dozens of candidates.”

            She nodded. “There are. You’re one of them. Now,” she sat back, “shall we get this interview started? Look at that, you’re even wearing a proper suit.”

            Needless to say, it wasn’t long before he received another phone call at home to let him know that he’d gotten the job. A few days later, he found himself standing in his new office, in the midst of unpacking his things when a knock sounded at the door.

            “Yes?” he answered distractedly, only belatedly looking up and freezing at the sight that greeted him.

            The young man standing there was absolutely breathtaking. At a glance, he was only an inch or so taller than Poe was, though the width of his shoulders and the build of his body gave off the impression that he could tower over anyone regardless. His features were big and beautiful, the plumpness of his mouth mesmerising as his lips were pulled into a tentative, if slightly frightened, smile.

            “Professor Dameron?” he spoke hesitantly, his hands wringing around the strap of his bag.

            Poe tried to force words out of his mouth. “I… Yes?” _Okay, cool. Now, try to string some more words along_. “Is there anything I can help you with…?”

            “Um. Finn. My name is Finn,” he glanced around, shuffling his feet a little. “I’m your TA? Or at least, I think I am?”

            Poe’s mouth dropped open slightly.

            “I mean,” Finn hurried to add, finally looking Poe straight in the eyes as he tried to explain, “I was Professor Hux’s TA? I’m not quite sure what the protocol is right now… I mean, of course you can always choose a new TA, that’s more than okay, I promise you –”

            “No, no!” Poe snapped out of his stupor. “That’s fine, really! I didn’t – I wasn’t aware Professor Hux had TAs for his classes.” From what he’d heard, Hux’s frightful reputation had kept the numbers in his classrooms low, most students choosing to avoid his courses at all cost. Smaller classes tended to have no need for TAs as the teacher could most likely handle the limited work alone.

            “I was his TA last semester,” Finn explained, his hands still playing with the strap of his bag. “Over the summer break, he had asked me to TA for him again.”

            Poe looked over the young man, forcing himself to ignore Finn’s undeniable attractiveness in order to focus on something else. Finn looked incredibly nervous; furthermore, he looked like he was waiting to be berated at every turn, his body tense and practically ready for flight. Poe could only guess that Finn’s previous TA experience with Hux had gone terribly, but that wouldn’t explain why he’d accepted the offer to come back.

            “If you’d prefer someone else though, I completely understand,” he repeated once more.

            Poe found himself shaking his head before he even realised. “No need for anyone else.” He finally pulled himself away from the box he’d been emptying to walk around the desk, a hand extended towards the younger man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Finn.”

            The young man looked at him momentarily before hesitatingly accepting the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you too, Professor Dameron.”

***

            Finn had been having a rather stressful first month back at school. Not only had he found out that Professor Hux had just been sacked – though, really, good riddance, the man had been mean and a nightmare to work for – but he’d also met the professor’s replacement and good god Finn could not believe that someone who looked like _that_ could possibly exist outside the pages of a magazine.

            Finn had panicked when the news of Professor Hux being let go had made the rounds across campus because he’d been certain that meant he would find himself minus one source of income. It was one of the main reasons he put up with being the man’s TA in the first place; between his classes and his evening shifts at the library, Finn had needed to find another part-time job that would still allow him to get his studies done. After the new of Hux’s firing had been made public, Finn hadn’t known what his own future with the new professor would be, if they would even need a TA in the first place, if they’d want to pick a new one themselves.

            Professor Dameron however.

            Well.

            Finn dropped his bag on the bench and plopped himself down, emitting a high-pitched whine as he sprawled across the table’s surface, covering Rey’s homework with his body.

            The woman in question gave him a very unimpressed look, her hands held up in front of her, pencil in one and highlighter in the other. “Hello, Finn. Nice to see you too, Finn. Are you trying to hoard my homework, Finn?”

            His only response was another high-pitched whine, the sound lost in the spread of papers beneath him. Around them, the coffee shop continued as it was, completely ignoring the heartbreak Finn was facing. How rude.

            She sighed and put down her pencil, reaching forward to pat at his head sympathetically. “What did he do now?”

            “He exists, that’s what he did.” He reluctantly lifted his head, graciously accepting Rey’s mug when she passed it over to him, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. “It doesn’t help that he’s teaching one of the best classes in the entire program, no, he also has the damn audacity to be so energetic and engaging – Rey, I swear, I have never seen so many students willingly participate in a lecture before.” He handed the mug back to her before collapsing on the table once more, ignoring the curious looks being sent their way.

            She sipped at her drink, regarding her friend with a fond look on her face. They weren’t even a third of the way through the semester and he’d fallen head over heels for a professor, quite the feat seeing as how Finn had been trying to remain as drama free as possible all through college. “You know, having a crush is perfectly normal. Nearly every student on campus has fallen for him at some point already. You told me yourself that sign-ups for the class had gone up to the point where you guys had to be relocated to a larger lecture hall.” And it was true. Even worse, no matter what department they were in, many students had taken to passing by the building that housed the History department, hoping to get a glimpse of the professor who had taken the campus by storm.

            Finn shook his head, shuffling the papers under him in consequence. “I’m his TA. I’m supposed to be a professional. I can’t – can’t be ogling him at all hours of the day when I’m supposed to be helping him with class prep and grading exams and – and –” He sat up suddenly, an affronted look on his face. “Did you know people have been trying to steal my position?”

            She looked up from where she’d been trying to rescue her papers, her mouth dropping open. “What?!” she exclaimed loudly, startling the patrons near them.

            Finn nodded vehemently. “I overheard one of them when I was making my way to his office. She was telling him _all_ about the experience she has as a TA and how it would benefit him more to take her on instead.”

            Rey gaped. “And what did he say?!”

            His demeanour changed slightly, his head dropping bashfully. He shrugged his shoulders a little, avoiding her gaze. “Um. He said he was perfectly happy having me as a TA, and that he was certain he and I could manage the course on our own.”

            Rey could’ve sworn he was blushing. She kicked lightly at his shin under the table, a grin overtaking her features. “That’s great.”

            He opted not to comment, his hands reaching forward to help her sort through the mess he’d made of her homework. “How’s your quiz prep going?” he changed the subject.

            She grimaced, glaring at the stacks of notes around her. “Abysmal. I hate it. Can’t I just graduate already?”

            Finn sighed sympathetically, grabbing his bag and unzipping it, pulling out his own things and settling in. “One more semester and then you’ll be a full-time engineer at Millennium Falcon. Not much more to go.”

            “I cannot wait,” she gushed, already forgetting about her previous woes. “Interning there was amazing, and working with Han Solo? _The_ Han Solo? That’s more than anyone can ask for. Even if his son is a prick. I can put up with him for my dream job.”

            Finn had been just about to answer her when a third voice joined them, the person in question making him freeze in his seat.

            “Finn! That’s kind of funny, I was just about to email you.”

            Finn slowly looked up and, yup, that was no hallucination, Professor Dameron was standing a few feet away from their table, phone in hand and bag placed firmly on his shoulder. Oh crap, it was like Beetlejuice; they said his name too many times and there he was.

Finn was going to die. The professor was dressed in black slacks with a white button down tucked into them, and did it just suddenly get overwhelmingly warm in the café? Maybe Finn was suffering from hot flashes.

            “Hello Poe,” Rey greeted when Finn was still unable to speak moments later. She subtly kicked him under the table once more, hoping to knock some sense into him. “Fancy seeing you here. Not many professors come this far from campus.”

            “Hi Rey,” he smiled at her, pocketing his phone and approaching them. “No lectures today and I sometimes like to take a stroll down memory lane; I used to study here when I was a student. Had a part-time job here too, actually,” he pointed towards the counter behind them.

            Finn could feel his will to live crumble slightly while he tried his hardest not to picture the man as a university student serving coffee. He cleared his throat when Rey kicked him for the third time, deciding it was maybe time to involve himself in the conversation. “Hey Professor; you said you were about to email me?” Why was he being so nervous all of a sudden? He’d had plenty of one-on-one meetings with the professor, plenty of alone time in his office to go over classes and exercises, and he’d never behaved in such a way before.

            “Oh, yeah. Actually, here – you haven’t gotten anything to drink yet, right?” he indicated to the only mug on Rey’s side of the table. “We can talk about it while we order, if you want.”

            Finn gulped but nodded, ignoring the knowing look Rey sent his way, her lips twitching as she tried to hold back a laugh. He hastily stood up, keeping a safe distance from his professor as they stood at the back of the line. Maybe it was the different setting that was making Finn so anxious? They weren’t on campus; his brain was trying to trick him into momentarily forgetting that the man next to him was still a teacher.

            “Right,” Poe started, his fingers flying over his phone as he tried to find a specific email. “Dean Organa and I were talking about setting up a new course for the History department in a year’s time. This is the email.”

            Finn hesitantly took hold of the phone being offered to him, his eyes automatically drawn to the subject line. “‘Riots, Protests, and Resistance; a History of Revolutions’?” He looked up at his professor after having skimmed through the email.

            Poe nodded excitedly, turning to greet the barista when they finally reached the front of the line. “I’ll have a mint tea, please. Finn?”

            “Oh, uh, hot chocolate, please.” He blushed when Poe turned to look at him with an amused gaze. “I have a sweet tooth,” he mumbled, handing the phone back to its owner. He tried to only drink coffee when he was in desperate need to stay awake, otherwise his heart rate would spiral out of control.

            The professor said nothing, but Finn could see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The man was clearly amused as he pulled his wallet out and paid for both drinks before Finn could notice. Finn was opening his mouth to protest but Poe spoke before. “No, my treat. Take it as a ‘thank you’ for considering my offer.”

            Finn said nothing about the fact that an offer had yet to actually be made, and graciously accepted the drink before following his professor to a table near Rey’s, settling down there.

            “I figure it would probably be better not to distract her while we discuss this,” Poe explained. “I remember how hard it was to find peaceful study time.”

            Finn nodded and took a seat, sipping nervously from his drink. “The course, it sounds interesting,” he spoke up. “Though I’m not quite certain I get what you mean by ‘offer’…?”

            “Right. Well, the thing is, Dean Organa already has a lot on her plate; she won’t exactly be able to actively help with the planning and, to be honest, I could use another set of eyes on this. And I thought, you know, with your grades and the fact that we already work very well together, maybe you’d be willing to help me out a little?”

            Finn gaped at him. He wanted him to help plan a curriculum for a new course? One that, to be honest, sounded like it was going to be ridiculously amazing?

            Poe seemed to take his silence for hesitancy, and hastened to explain further. “The Dean told me you were working towards becoming a professor later on, and I figured this could be really good practice. I also trust your insight, and I wouldn’t really want to be working with anyone else on this project –”

            “I’ll do it!” Finn exclaimed, flushing at the fact that he just interrupted him mid-speech. “Sorry; I mean, yes, I’d love to help you organise it.”

            Poe beamed at him. “That’s great! Thank you, Finn, really,” he told him earnestly. “I know you’re already doing a lot, and that there’s more on the way, what with everything that’s about to be handed in, and the work you have for your own classes –”

            “Honestly, Professor,” Finn stopped him after a moment, a wide smile on his face. Once the initial shock of seeing his professor away from school grounds had worn off, Finn could feel the excitement to be working on such a project growing in him. “This is… Just, honestly, thank you.”

            “Right,” Poe cleared his throat, grinning a little. “That’s good to know. I guess we should work out how to schedule all of this in between classes and your work at the library?”

            Finn nodded along, trying to picture his timetable. “I normally have the late shifts at the library; sometimes I do the overnight ones on the days when it’s open twenty-four hours. We could always meet there a few times to look up the resources we’ll be needing; I’m sure my boss won’t mind if we worked on it during the quieter hours.”

            “Alright then, it’s settled! We’ll have a definitive schedule going by the end of the week. I’ll see you in a few days to go over the early essays?” The professor stood, tea in his hand and messenger bag on his shoulder.

            Finn nodded and watched as Poe made his way to the door, a chipper hop in his step as he exited the establishment with one last wave to Rey. Finn dreaded looking over to wear his friend was sitting, but he could practically feel her eyes digging into the side of his head and so he reluctantly stood and made his way over to her once more.

            “I’m surprised you still call him ‘Professor’,” she spoke first when all he did was pretend to start going over his notes. “Pretty much every student I know calls their professors by their first names.”

            “I’m trying to keep a boundary in place, ok?” he glared at her, though there was no real heat behind it. “I need to remind myself that he’s a teacher I work for and nothing more.”

            She growled lightly, her eyes snapping up to meet his. “Finn, the man literally just asked you to help him plan a brand new class with him. Do you have any idea how many people, let alone students who are vying to become prospective teachers, would kill for such an opportunity? _That_ is going to be fucking gold on your CV, do you understand?”

            Finn winced at her tone, though he knew just how right she was. He had no idea how he was going to survive the rest of the semester.

***

            Finn was sitting behind the information desk at the library, his textbooks spread in front of him. His head swimming with the amount of information he was trying to cram into it and he was so close to just giving up. It was a quiet night; the small amount of students in the library were there for actual studying, their headphones on while studiously taking notes. They didn’t approach him for anything, which meant he was free to do his own studies, though for the life of him he just wanted to set everything on fire and never set foot in a school again. Which would prove to be problematic given that he wanted to be a teacher later on.

            He let his head rest against his open textbook, words flashing constantly in front of his eyes and taunting him, reminding him of his creeping responsibilities. He snuck a look at his wristwatch and sighed; there were still several hours to go before he could clock off and head on home.

            Finn reluctantly sat up, stretching his arms up to get rid of the kinks in his shoulders, freezing halfway through the movement when he took note of who was standing in front of the desk, amused smirk tugging at his lips.

            “Professor!” Finn exclaimed, hurriedly straightening himself out, tugging his shirt down from where it had ridden up.

            The man in question chuckled amusedly, fiddling with the strap of his bag. “You’re the only student who still calls me that. You know, you _can_ use my name.”

            Finn grinned nervously, rearranging the stack of books in front of him without noticing. “I work for you though; it would be weird to call you anything other than Professor.” He shrugged half-heartedly, hoping he hadn’t offended the other man in any way. Professor Hux had instilled the habit in him too much for him to give it up so fast and start calling teachers by their given names, though he also held on to the reason he’d given Rey earlier on that week. Boundaries and all that.

            Poe smiled at him. “Alright, I can understand that,” he nodded. “So, shall we get started?”

            Finn’s brain short-circuited for a moment because he could have sworn he had no idea what they were supposed to get ‘started’ on, but his traitorous mind was more than okay with providing images that were most certainly not appropriate for the workplace. “Um.”

            “Your email said you’d found some possible resources…?” Poe trailed off.

            “Right!” Finn resisted the urge to smack his head repeatedly. “Right, yes! Resources, for that thing! I mean, the course! Yes – yup! I have those!” He hastily stood up from his chair and turned around, pretending to leaf through a stack of papers even though the ones he was looking for were right at the top. He just – he needed some time to cool off his nerves. He could practically feel Rey judging him from the future; maybe he shouldn’t tell her about this incident. “Here they are,” he turned back once he was satisfied he was done making a fool of himself. “They’re in order of most relevant to least relevant, but they’re all helpful in some way. We can go sit on that table there,” he pointed to the one right in front of the desk, which would allow him to return to work without a hassle if ever he saw someone approaching. 

            The rest of his shift went by much quicker after that; once Finn had gotten over his stupid foot-in-mouth incident, he found himself comfortable and in his element. He wished he could always be so level-headed around the professor, but his experience with Professor Hux was still deeply ingrained in his head; his mind found it difficult to believe that a teacher could treat him as an equal, seeing as how Hux would never have.

            Working with Poe however…

            Finn chanced a glance at the man while they went over articles, his gaze fixating on the lines of Poe’s face, the nearly-constant smile pulling at his lips. Things were different, working with Poe Dameron.

            Finn had no idea if that was a good sign or not.

***

            The thing with Poe was he had been able to objectively realise, right at their first meeting, that Finn was a good-looking man. Pretty much anyone would have been able to reach the same conclusion. Poe had remained confident in his ability to stay professional regardless; there were good-looking people everywhere, that didn’t change anything.

            But then.

            Then Finn opened his goddamned mouth and the words that spilled past them had Poe hypnotised and wondering if the universe had it out to get him.

            It had been during their second meeting. Poe had requested that Finn pass by his office a few days before classes were meant to start so that they could go over the curriculum together and get a solid idea of how the semester was going to go.

            Finn had arrived looking decidedly calmer than he’d had the first day. After a conversation with Leia, Poe had understood that Hux had run Finn ragged last semester, which would have most likely explained his initial jittery reaction to a new professor he knew nothing about.

            “So,” Poe had sat back. “Military History. Where should we start?”

             What was meant to be a twenty minute conversation turned into a veritable debate, and two hours later, they’d been forced to put an end to it when Finn’s alarm rang to signal an upcoming shift at the library.

            “I’m sorry,” Finn had silenced the phone, stuffing it into his bag before standing up, his lips quirking with an abashed smile. “I have to get going to work, but this doesn’t mean you’ve won this round.” Finn had looked momentarily shocked at the words he’d let slip past his mouth, though he hastily made his way out of the office without further comment.

            Poe had stared after him as he walked away, surprise etched across his features as he realised just how much time had passed. It wasn’t that he’d never had debates with students before, those were fairly common; Finn’s mind, however. It wasn’t like talking to a student. Poe had genuinely felt as though he’d been talking to a colleague, or even to a peer within the program.

            The same could be said even halfway past the semester.

            The project they were working on was exciting and engaging; Poe was more than happy to see that Finn had finally gotten comfortable enough with him that it took no time at all for them to get into the rhythm of arguing and debating. The camaraderie they felt through planning the course together transmitted into every other aspect of their relationship, including the responsibilities they had towards Poe’s present classes.

            They were currently seated in the same cafe where he had initially proposed the project to Finn, stacks and stacks of essays strewn around them, two empty mugs and several empty plates littering one corner of the table.

            “The words are blurry,” Finn declared, dropping the essay in his hand and reaching up to rub at his tired eyes. “It’s like the letters are trying to attack me,” he grumbled.

            Poe laughed, also putting down the essay he was correcting. “We still have another thirty of these to go,” he said apologetically. “I know it’s a lot for just the two of us. I’m sorry for that.”

            Finn looked at him past his fingers, his eyebrows frowning quizzically. “What have you got to apologize for? I’m a TA, I knew what I was signing up for.”

            Poe shrugged half-heartedly, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. “I could’ve asked for an additional TA; it would’ve alleviated the workload on both of us.”

            Finn tried to imagine a scenario in which a third person joined them during their sessions, another person there to work on their shared project, sitting with them at the cafe table they’d claimed as theirs, or the one in the library. It was odd. He shook his head. “This is a piece of cake in comparison to what Professor Hux had me doing last year.”

            “Can I ask you something?” Poe observed him with his molten eyes.

            Finn looked up at him with surprise. “Yeah, of course.”

            “Why did you say yes to being his TA again?”

            Ah. Finn shrugged self-consciously. “I know he was a bit of a dick, but it didn’t change the fact that it was good work experience. It was my first time being a TA and so I hadn’t really known what to expect, but I just stuck with it. That and it’s not really easy to find work that accommodates my class schedule, so…”

            Poe nodded slowly before seeming to snap out of whatever thoughts he had, smacking his hands against the table with determination. “Okay. I’m getting us more food. Any requests?”

            Finn was already shaking his head, standing up while reaching for his wallet. “Nuh uh, you got the last two rounds. This is on me now.”

            “Aw, come on, Finn –”

            “No,” he tried to remain authoritative despite the exaggerated pout the professor was sending his way. “Poe Dameron, you’re sitting here and I’m getting us food. Is that understood?”

            Poe watched him walk away without another word, his heart racing in his chest. God, how pathetic was he that hearing Finn say his first name was getting him all flustered. It already didn’t help that Poe was sometimes having trouble focusing in class because Finn was always sitting _right there_ where he could see him at all times, but the line between teacher and student was blurring further and further. Poe was starting to forget more often than not that Finn was his student and his TA foremost, and not just another co-worker from the same department.

            A few days later, they were set up in the library, the clock nearing midnight when they finally decided to call it a day. The tables around them were fairly empty given the hour; most students were probably setting themselves up in cafes nearby to pull all-nighters with caffeine readily available.

            Finn was looking at the returns cart with an expression of foreboding, more than aware of the fact that he would have to finish putting the books away before his shift ended in another hour or else he would be hearing it from Marcus when he came in to replace him.

            Poe looked up from putting his things away when he heard Finn sigh and saw where he was looking. The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them. “I’ll help you put those away. It’s my fault you didn’t get to finish your work.” He put a hand up before Finn could protest, packing his bag and setting it aside before standing up and stretching, a ready expression on his face. “Alright! Let’s do this!”

            Finn had to admit that it went faster with two people; they divided the cart up into sections, working from the front of the library to the back. At one point, they were placing books along the same shelf, Finn trying to hold back a laugh as Poe struggled to reach the top.

            “Oh shut it,” Poe grumbled, straining his arm. “Like you’re that much taller. You’ve got an inch on me, max.” He stood on the tip of his toes, ignoring the snickering at his side.

            “That inch is more than enough for me to reach that shelf, Poe.” He proved it by stretching and grabbing the book out of Poe’s hand, the other on Poe’s waist to steady himself. Finn proceeded to easily slip it into its proper place, a triumphant grin on his face. He froze when he finally noticed that in order to do so, he had plastered himself to his professor’s back, Poe’s body tense against him. “Um,” he gulped, willing his own body not to react in any obvious way. “Sorry.”

            Finn was just about to back away when Poe let himself down onto the balls of his feet, the curve of his ass pressing against the front of Finn’s crotch, a harsh and cut-off gasp escaping the professor’s throat. Finn tried to choke down his moan, his arms technically still trapping Poe in his place from where one was still on the shelf above them, the fingers of his other hand digging into the flesh of Poe’s waist.

            The situation should have been mortifying; Finn should’ve already been running for the hills, changing his name and running away to some overseas country to never be found again. He should have been running _for his life_ , but he was stuck in place, like he was waiting for someone to press play on a movie that was paused at a really unfortunate moment. He found himself unable to do anything except wait for his professor to turn around and clock him one in the face before reporting him to security when –

            When Poe let his head fall forward, the line of his neck bared as he pressed back further into Finn’s growing erection, a shaky exhale ripping out of the older man.

            Finn bit his lip to keep from crying out, not quite believing that they were doing this in the _library_ for fuck’s sake anyone could walk past them –

            He was derailed from his train of thought when Poe’s right hand reached behind them to grab onto Finn’s ass, urging him forward. His left arm came up to rest against the shelves in front of his face for leverage.

            Finn heart leaped up to lodge itself in his throat as he got the message; he started to grind forward in earnest, his body working as though it were trying to ignore the layer of clothes between them, pushing further and further to drown itself into the heat that was Poe.

            Finn couldn’t stop himself from latching onto the skin he had been eyeing, the nape of Poe’s neck enticing and begging to be covered in marks. He let his mouth trail against it at first, pressing soft kisses as they continued to thrust together, their hips moving in sync.

            Poe’s body was ablaze, his nerves magnifying every sensation to the extreme. Finn’s lips on his neck felt like they were branding him with their imprint and it was nothing in comparison to the feel of his teeth biting into the delicate skin. Poe whined through clenched teeth, his limbs spasming and forcing him back harder against Finn’s clothed cock as a result.

            “Finn –” he moaned, trying to keep his voice low while attempting to convey the very desperate need growing in him.

            Finn bit harder, certain that he was leaving very obvious teeth marks but he couldn’t bring it in himself to care, not when Poe was undulating against him in the sweetest of ways. He was understandably confused then when Poe was suddenly pushing him back and away from him, his entire being screaming in protest at the action, but before he could let out an embarrassing sound of disappointment, Poe was already turning around and pulling him closer.

            Poe nearly cried with relief when his erection brushed against Finn’s, the touch enough but not at the same time. He let his eyes close with pleasure, his cheeks flushing with heat and arousal. He could feel Finn’s arms circling around his waist, feel Finn’s mouth pressing delicately against his lips in little kisses, each one growing bolder until Finn was licking into his mouth, their tongues meeting in the middle.

            Finn was dizzy, so dizzy with need that he could hardly think past _more more more for the love of fuck_ , could hardly process the fact that he was sucking on Poe’s tongue, grinding against Poe’s cock in the middle of the library, the two of them pressed against the bookshelves like a bunch of delinquent teenagers. He let his hands wander as they wanted, let his fingers dig into the generous flesh of Poe’s ass, the same ass that had been rubbing against his erection only minutes before.

            Poe gasped loudly and brokenly into the kiss when Finn’s hands grabbed onto the meat of his thighs and hefted him up, bodily pressing him into the shelf, leaving Poe no choice but to wrap his shaky legs around Finn’s waist. “Fuck!” he nearly cried out, his own fingers digging into the muscles he could feel along Finn’s arms, his eyes suddenly desperate to catch a glimpse of those biceps, maybe with Finn on top of him in bed and thrusting into him repeatedly and without mercy while his own legs were spread wide, Finn’s arms on full display from where they would be holding his body up –

            “Poe –” Finn gasped against his mouth, the hint of a five o’clock shadow rubbing Finn’s skin pleasantly, enticingly. He kept thrusting forward, endlessly chasing after that high he knew would be waiting for them, if he could just, just –

            The sound of the library door slamming closed startled them enough to break their kiss, both of their heads whipping to the side in direction of where the noise came from. They were panting heavily, their chests pressed together as they struggled to regain their breathing.

            Poe still felt as though his body was on fire, but he could feel cold realisation slowly sinking in as his brain finally let him process what they’d been doing, what he’d been _about to do_ , with a student no less – oh shit.

            He could feel it as well when Finn began to draw the same conclusion, the young man tensing against him.

            Finn’s insistent body protested as Poe unwrapped his legs from around his waist, though Finn slowly released his hold and gently let him down to the ground before taking a step back, his chest still heaving.

            “Finn?” they could hear someone calling out from closer to the entrance. “You here, man? Your shift is over, you can go home now!”

            “We should…” Finn gulped, trailed off. He looked away, focusing his gaze anywhere else, on anything else that wasn’t the beautiful man who was still leaning against the bookshelf, his clothes in a state of disarray.

            “Yeah,” Poe slowly agreed. He forced his shoulders straight and pushed away from the shelf, not allowing his head to send him into a frenzy, not yet. He needed to – he needed time to _think_ and he couldn’t do that here, not with Finn standing in front of him, looking like – like –

            Poe didn’t let himself finish the thought. He cleared his throat and walked out from between the shelves, not allowing himself to look back at Finn one last time. He nodded at the student who had interrupted them, prayed he didn’t look like he’d been doing anything he shouldn’t be doing, grabbed his stuff and walked out.

            “Fuck,” Poe whispered to himself harshly once the cold night air finally began to clear his sense. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

***

            Finn was lying back on Rey’s bed, just as silent as he’d been when he’d knocked on the door to her bedroom at three in the morning without any explanation. She’d let him in wordlessly, a worried frown etched between her brows but she knew better than to ask before he was ready to talk. She let him lie down, watched as he tried to curl in on himself to be as small as possible, huddled against the side of the bed that was pressed against the wall.

            She tried not to panic; Finn was rarely ever this morose. The last time she’d seen him in such a state, Finn had refused to tell her why, only that it had had something to do with Professor Hux and the insults he was prone to dish out.

            Rey inhaled shakily but turned off the lights regardless, climbing into bed and throwing the blankets over them before curling up against his back and wrapping her arms around his mid-section. She could feel his breathing hitch, how he was trying to hold himself from trembling.

            “I did something,” he whispered after an hour, neither of them sleeping yet.

            She squeezed her arms around his waist reassuringly. Whatever it was, they would deal with it together, just as they had been doing for years.

            “I kissed him.”

            Rey frowned, trying to figure out who ‘him’ was before it hit her; Finn had said that Poe would be meeting him at the library for another planning session. Her eyes widened, staring at the back of Finn’s neck like that would prompt him to say more.

            “Or… well. It was a little more than kissing. But – Fuck, I really shouldn’t have,” he continued, swallowing harshly.

            “How did he react?” Rey asked carefully.

            Finn chuckled self-deprecatingly and Rey nearly had a heart attack thinking the worst until he said, “He kissed me back. Would’ve probably done a lot more if it weren’t for Marcus coming in for his shift.”

            She winced sympathetically. “What happened after?”

            He shook his head. “We left. Didn’t really say anything. I don’t – I don’t really know what that means.”

            She inhaled deeply, pulling him as close to her as possible and tangling their legs together. “What do you want to do?” She knew Finn wasn’t asking for advice; he would figure it out for himself as he always did, but sometimes it helped to discuss it out loud.

            “He’s my teacher. I shouldn’t _want_ to do anything,” he told her quietly. “But every time I see him, I just… Rey, I’m not this person. I’m not the student who falls for the teacher,” he insisted vehemently, confused at his feelings and the actions they led to.

            “Finn, he’s not your teacher,” she reminded him gently. “You’re his teaching assistant, sure, and you attend his classes _because_ you’re his teaching assistant, but you’re not a student in his classroom. I don’t know if that changes anything, but you’re still not _that_ person.”

            She could feel the words wash over her friend, knew that he was mulling it over in his mind even though he said nothing. He turned around in her arms to face her. “I don’t know if it changes anything either.”

            Rey sighed and snuggled closer to him, resting her head under his chin and listening to his heartbeat. She had a habit of doing that whenever she was stressed out or simply needed reassurance, her best friend’s presence bringing her back to earth when her head was spinning. She hoped it offered Finn the same comfort.

            “I’m sorry for waking you up,” he whispered into her hair. “I can go back to my room,” he nodded towards the door, in the vague direction of where his room was located in their shared apartment.

            She huffed and wrapped herself around him further, refusing to move. “Don’t you fucking dare,” she threatened. “For the record, I don’t think any less of you for anything that happened,” Rey told him sincerely when he didn’t move. “I know you have feelings for him, but I also know that you wouldn’t have acted on them for the fun of it. And to be honest, his feelings for you are pretty damn obvious as well.”

            “I don’t know,” he exhaled tiredly. “I don’t know anything right now.”

            She shrugged. “You don’t have to know everything _all_ the time. Sometimes it’s okay not to know.”

***

            Several days past where they weren’t certain how to act around each other. Finn continued to attend Poe’s classes just as his position as a TA mandated, studiously taking notes and helping students after class. There were no essays or exams to grade since the mid-term assignments and so there was no need to see each other for class-related reasons just yet.

            Poe had been forced to wear turtlenecks and high-collared shirts for days after their late night session in the library, in hopes of hiding the teeth marks Finn had left on his nape.

            As for the preparation they had been making for the new course – it had been put on pause indefinitely. Poe couldn’t bring himself to email or call Finn, the events of their night together playing over and over again in his head like an endless reel.

            He still couldn’t believe he’d let himself get carried away the way he had. Poe had actively encouraged the younger man, had maybe instigated the entire ordeal in the first place and he couldn’t _believe_ he’d taken advantage of a student the way he had, holy shit. No matter what his feelings were towards Finn, he knew he shouldn’t have done what he did.

            Poe was not the sort to let his mistakes slide by, however. With regards to that, he knew what he had to do, no matter how much he dreaded doing it.

            That was how he found himself sitting rigidly in his office the next afternoon, his eyes continuously straying to the clock on the wall, counting down the minutes until he straightened everything out. At four pm on the dot, a knock sounded on his door and Poe hastily stood up, inviting the person in.

            Finn opened the door and stepped in hesitantly, looking around the office before slowly walking in further.

            Poe wanted to curse himself to hell and back again; he hadn’t seen Finn this nervous since their first meeting, and one stupid mistake on Poe’s part had wrecked all the progress they’d made together.

            “Finn,” he greeted the younger man softly, unsure of how to start.

            Finn let the door close behind him and walked in a step further, halting at an awkward distance. His stance mirrored their first meeting, his hands wringing nervously around the strap of his messenger bag. “Poe.”

            Poe breathed a sigh of relief. At least they hadn’t gone back _that_ much. “I wanted to apologise,” he began after a moment, unsure of how to have such a conversation. “What happened the other night… I should never have taken advantage of you like that.” He could tell that those were not the words Finn had been expecting, the man’s eyes wide with surprise.

            “Advantage…?” Finn trailed off, perplexed.

            He nodded, swallowing harshly. “I should have never let my feelings for you interfere with any part of our relationship. I take full responsibility for all of this and –”

            Finn’s bag dropping to the floor halted his apology. “What feelings?” he asked after a moment of heavy silence, neither of them moving.

            Poe gulped but pushed through with the conversation, still standing behind his desk. “My… inappropriate feelings, the ones that developed over time as we worked together. As your professor, I should have never let myself act on them –”

            “But you’re not my professor,” Finn cut him off. He wasn’t certain why he’d said it, but he knew it was important. The words had been resonating in his head since his conversation with Rey; Finn knew he liked Poe in a sense that was separate from their relationship at the university. If the last few days had taught him anything, it was that he missed the other man like crazy; missed talking to him and spending time with him, and if that meant Finn had to make a fool of himself by confessing his own feelings, then so be it.

            Poe stared at the other man as he seemed to come to a decision, his own heart fluttering in his chest while the whole ordeal took a turn he’d never expected it to take.

            “You’re not my professor,” Finn repeated with more conviction, taking one step closer. “And I’m not your student. And if you’re feelings are inappropriate, then… well fuck, I have no idea how I should describe mine.”

            Poe’s breath hitched in his throat, his mouth gaping as the words processed in his mind.

            “What I’m saying is –” Finn inhaled sharply. “What I’m saying is that I don’t regret what happened that night. I mean, it wasn’t necessarily the best place nor the right time, but you were in no way taking advantage of me given that I _very_ much wanted to do all of it. Have been wanting to for a while,” he admitted somewhat sheepishly, looking at the ground and willing his cheeks not to flush.

            “Is this a good idea?” Poe asked breathlessly after a pause, barely capable of comprehending whatever it was that had just unfolded between them.

            “I don’t know,” Finn answered sincerely, looking up when he heard the other move. “But… sometimes it’s okay not to know.” He stared intently as Poe rounded his desk, movements jittery and uncertain.

            Poe stopped once there was nothing left between them except for a few feet of empty space. He licked his dry lips, delirious with the knowledge that the action alone had Finn staring at his mouth like it was the only oasis in a desert he’d been walking through for days with not a drop to drink.

            It was inevitable when the distance between them suddenly shrunk, their bodies colliding as their mouths crashed together, a messy meeting of tongues and teeth. Their pent-up feelings, which had been growing over their week apart, finally boiled to the surface and spilled over, leaving a disaster in their wake.

            Finn wasted no time pushing Poe back against his desk, hefting the older man up and easily placing him on the flat surface, their lips still attached throughout. He let his hands explore, from the curve of Poe’s waist to the planes of his back, tugging the older man’s shirt out of his slacks and letting himself finally touch bare skin. Poe whimpered into the kiss, his toes curling in his shoes, his thighs spreading wider to accommodate Finn closer, their cocks brushing together as a result.

            Things went flying off the desk with a hasty push of Finn’s hand, clearing out just enough space so he could lay Poe down, the man complying to his movements easily. Poe was spread across the surface, his legs dangling off the edge, looking at Finn through half-lidded eyes as he slowly reached up to unbutton his shirt.

            Finn was nearly salivating as, one button at a time, Poe revealed more of himself. He continued to stand between the man’s spread legs, his fingers digging unforgivingly into the muscle of Poe’s thighs, mesmerised and unable to look away.

Poe was flushed a deep red that began from the hollow of his cheeks and extended to the tan skin of his chest, the white shirt contrasting starkly with the mesh of colours. Finn swallowed and moved to trace a straight line with one finger from the hollow of Poe’s neck down to the light smattering of hair underneath his navel. He could feel the abdominal muscles trembling in the wake of his touch and he couldn’t stop himself from going even lower until he was cupping a handful of Poe’s erection.

            Poe let out a strangled moan, his back arching off the surface while he hurriedly bit down on his bottom lip to keep quiet. “Finn –” he forced out, choking down another desperate sound when Finn continued to rub at him carefully, Poe’s cock steadily growing harder.

            Finn hummed, continuing the torture while adding on more; he bent down to press a trail of kisses on the lines of Poe’s lower abdomen, the defined v of his pelvis. He could feel his own erection tenting his jeans painfully, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He pulled away long enough to unbuckle Poe’s belt, undoing the button and the zipper before tugging at the material and peeling it down and off, pausing only to remove Poe’s shoes and socks, throwing it all away carelessly.

            “Finn,” Poe warned, his breathing heavy and erratic, his lungs struggling to process oxygen as Finn resumed his earlier position, the younger man still fully clothed while Poe only had his unbuttoned shirt pooling underneath him. He reached out to tug at Finn’s shoulders, pleading him for something, anything to alleviate the tension growing in the small of his back and the pit of his stomach.

            Finn leaned down to press a hasty kiss to his lips before bending further and nuzzling at the crease of Poe’s groin, reverently licking at the soft skin as he rubbed his palms up and down Poe’s sides reassuringly.

            “No, no, don’t!” Poe exclaimed when Finn went to swallow his cock, stopping the younger man when he was only a centimeter away.

            Finn looked up questioningly, a hesitant “Poe?” breathing past his mouth.

            Poe swallowed harshly, his head falling back against the desk as he tried to pull himself together. “I’m way too close, buddy,” he laughed self-deprecatingly, his body shaking. “There’s no way I’ll last more than three minutes, and even that’s probably pushing it.”

            Finn giggled, a rush of pleasure and pride coursing through him. He nodded, licking one teasing stripe over Poe’s cock and reveling in the choked moan the older man released before forcing himself away. He straightened up and reached behind him to pull the shirt off his back, letting it drop unceremoniously to the floor before undoing his jeans.

            Poe lifted his head enough to watch the show, his eyes dazed and glassy as he took in every inch of glowing skin. His pulse was racing off the charts, his fingers itching to reach out and touch. He just wanted Finn, wanted all of him; in him, around him, just – _everything_.

            Which was, of course, when another realisation made itself known, disappointment sinking low in Poe’s stomach. “Fuck,” he cursed, still distracted by the sight of Finn semi-naked. “I don’t have anything with me,” he admitted when Finn’s eyes fell on him.

            Finn’s movements halted, his hands still around the waistband of his jeans. “Um.” His skin flushed, his demeanour bashful all of a sudden.

            Poe quickly sat up. “Finn. Do you happen to have supplies on your person?” he asked with a disbelieving smirk on his face. “Someone came with high hopes,” he waggled his eyebrows, cackling when Finn protested.

            “It’s not that!” he insisted though he was laughing as well, his cheeks hot with embarrassment. “It’s just – Rey’s friend, Jess? She stashed condoms and lube in my bag as a gag gift when she found out about my feelings for you, and I’ve just… never gotten around to removing them…?” he trailed off when Poe’s gaze turned fond. “I’ll just… go get them.” Fin turned around and bent over to retrieve his messenger bag, jeans still hanging loosely around his hips.

            Poe laid back down against the desk, spreading his legs wider and beckoning the other closer when he finally returned with the required items at hand. Finn placed them within reach before bending over to press a few kisses against Poe’s mouth, nipping at his lip playfully and dragging little bites to the curve of his jaw.

            His impatience getting the better of him, Poe tugged at Finn’s jeans, pulling them lower along with his boxers until they bunched around muscled thighs, Finn’s erection finally free and curving up to his lower stomach. Poe’s mouth watered, but he knew he would have to leave blowing Finn for another time; he grabbed the condom placed near him and ripped the packaging open, sliding the rubber over Finn’s thick cock in one smooth stroke.

            Finn stared at him, mesmerised by the touch and Poe’s undeviating gaze. In just a little bit of time, he would be buried deep in Poe’s body, engulfed in heat he’d only previously dreamed of. Those sorts of thoughts spurred him into action, grabbing the sachet of lube and generously coating his fingers before reaching down and pressing against Poe’s rim.

            It caught the older man by surprise, his eyes having previously been fixated on the sight of Finn’s cock and his own hand around it. He could feel the first finger breaching him, and he sucked in a steadying breath.

            The process of getting Poe’s body ready was meticulous, Finn’s fingers stretching him open and rubbing against his prostate, causing Poe to spasm against the desk every time. Finn littered his skin with little love bites; along the lines of his thighs, the dip of his waist, the v of his hips. Poe was twisting against the wooden surface, pleading words escaping him in an incoherent jumble until the only things he could say were ‘Finn’ and ‘please’.

            When Finn finally took pity on him and pulled his fingers away, Poe thought he was going to going to _literally_ catch fire. He was covered in sweat, his fringe wet and messy from where he kept grabbing at his own hair out of sheer frustration. A shaky exhale drew out of his throat as he finally felt Finn’s cock catch against his rim, his stomach quivering with anticipation.

            Finn grabbed at Poe’s thighs and placed them on his hips, slowly pushing his cock in deeper. He sighed with pleasure, Poe’s body yielding to him easily and heat surrounding him inch by inch until he was fully engulfed by it. Even his wildest fantasies barely compared to the reality of being able to have Poe in such an intimate manner.

            Poe could hardly believe, could barely comprehend the level of ecstasy growing in him as Finn’s hips began to move carefully, shallow pulls as Poe’s body adjusted to the welcome intrusion. He tightened his legs around Finn’s waist, pulling the man closer until his thrusts began to grow stronger, the desk grating against the floor with the force of it.

            Poe reached above him and fumbled to find purchase against anything as his body slid against the surface with every push of Finn’s hips. He grappled with the edge of the desk, his back arching worryingly when Finn changed angles, his cock nudging against Poe’s prostate and sending off sparks through Poe’s nervous system.

            “Poe –” Finn groaned, his hips snapping forward continuously. He was getting so close. He let go of Poe’s thighs and leaned over him on the desk, his arms caging the older man in as he brought more power into his thrusts.

            Poe cried out as a result, his legs tightening further around Finn and urging him even more. He let go of the desk to wrap his arms around Finn’s shoulders, his nails unconsciously scratching at the planes of muscles while he felt every wave of pleasure steadily grow in him, more and more and more until it washed over him completely. Poe spilled between their bodies, his cock untouched and oh fuck he had no idea his body could even _do that_.

            Finn moaned brokenly while Poe contracted and fluttered around him, his own eyes clenching shut as he finally let himself go. Lights and sparks flew behind his eyelids, his body shaking and his hips snapping forward one more time into the welcoming heat. He could hear his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears, drowning out every other sound and leaving him no choice but to focus only on what he was feeling.

            Poe slowly came back to earth, his breathing harsh and laboured while his body tried to recover. He held Finn tightly in his arms and between his legs, unwilling to let go just yet. If it was at all possible, Poe would choose a life in which he would never have to let the younger man go, but he knew that would be virtually impossible. It was the early evening and they were in his office; it was a fucking miracle they hadn’t even been interrupted yet.

            He nearly giggled as he thought back to the interruption in the library just a few nights before, his shaking chest serving to slowly bring Finn back to him.

            “Whassit?” Finn mumbled into the skin of his chest, where he’d rested his head and refused to get up earlier than he had to.

            “Nothing,” Poe answered fondly, rubbing at the nape of Finn’s neck, glowing as the man responded with a pleased hum.

            “So this whole thing,” Finn started a little later, coherent thoughts making their way back into his head, “we get to do it again, right?”

            Poe squeezed him tighter, ignoring the fact that he was still virtually naked on his office desk with a very attractive – and almost equally naked – man plastered to his front. “If you’ll have me.”

            “That’s cheesy,” Finn snorted happily, biting lightly at the skin beneath his mouth.

            “Fuck you.”

***

            “Hello _Professor_ ,” Poe grinned as he leaned against the doorjamb, appreciatively eyeing the person leaning over a box on the floor.

            Finn turned to glare at him though a smile was tugging at his lips made it hard to take his anger seriously. “You’re terrible at being subtle, you know that? Students are already talking about us.”

            “I can’t help it if they see the chemistry between us,” Poe shrugged lightly, walking in and closing the office door behind him.

            “Of course they would be able to, given that you decided to attend my classes for no reason,” Finn huffed at him. He stopped unpacking his things and leaned against the desk instead, his arms crossing in front of his chest.

            “Payback,” Poe answered honestly as he prowled closer. “For all the times you used to distract me in my classes.”

            “I was your TA. I _had_ to attend,” he continued half-heartedly, heat growing in his gaze when Poe came to stand between his legs, their chests pressing together.

            “I’ll be honest, I’m losing track of my thoughts right now.” His brown eyes were plastered to Finn’s lips, his mouth watering with need. “Hey, what do you say we christen your new office?”

            Finn grinned widely, hopping up on the desk and spreading his thighs invitingly. “I thought you’d never ask,” he spoke as he pulled Poe closer by the hem of his shirt, already moving to undo his belt. “You think my desk will hold better than yours did?”

            “Guess we’ll just have to find out.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come join me [here](http://midnightsurge.tumblr.com) on Tumblr!
> 
> I will probably start taking short prompts every once in a while, if anyone is interested :)


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